Help with understanding pH et al

[BarrWarr]

Thank you @Zeus. , my tank is only 58l and low tech so doesn’t seem viable to do diy. So, I think based on this, I’ll get some TNC but I’m not entirely sure how much I would need to dose. Although I’ve read the EI section, I’m not really sure how much and how often?

 

[Zeus.]

I’ve read the EI section, I’m not really sure how much and how often?

Well your low tech ATM so I would use the standard dose and see how it goes, you can always dose a bit more if unsure. As long as the ferts are in abundance your fine, just watch the plants.

 

[PARAGUAY]

That's what l do l just increase, as plants show active growth, in one aquarium l use houseplants emmersed so l guess l can put more in. Finding l only dose once a week at water change works better for me than daily

 

[BarrWarr]

Perfect, that’s great. I’m very slowly getting a bit more clued up with how to do things!

 

[Zeus.]

Its a bit like painting skirting boards 'which I happen to be doing ATM', bits of dust/imperfections here and there and getting a perfect straight line to the wall is a PITA. Once finished and the next day standing from a distance it looks great as your not focused on the detail. We dont worry so much about getting the fert balance right in the garden as we do with our tanks - if the plants look good and healthy job done.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Thanks @Zeus. I know you are "the man that can" in these situations - <"TNC Complete Aquarium Plant Food & Nutrients 500ml">.

I’m very slowly getting a bit more clued up with how to do things!

That is the real problem, sorting out <"the wheat from the chaff">, particularly when there are lots of <"magic bullet vendors">, who are just after your money.

See how you get on, just with the TNC, and if you start to see <"pale new growth"> (like below)? Add an iron chelate in.

cheers Darrel

 

[Zeus.]

Thanks @Zeus. I know you are "the man that can" in these situations

To kind, The IFC makes it all possible, which I happen to start the ball moving on, but many helped esp @Hanuman and it was building on the foundations of what other had already done and the wealth of free information on the net.
I do tend to say it as I see it - which does get me into trouble or upset folks at times 😱

 

[BarrWarr]

Hi all,
Thanks @Zeus. I know you are "the man that can" in these situations - <"TNC Complete Aquarium Plant Food & Nutrients 500ml">.

That is the real problem, sorting out <"the wheat from the chaff">, particularly when there are lots of <"magic bullet vendors">, who are just after your money.

See how you get on, just with the TNC, and if you start to see <"pale new growth"> (like below)? Add an iron chelate in.

cheers Darrel

Will do. This may be a silly question but the Chempack Iron you mention says it is harmful to aquatic life - I assume that’s not strictly true if I’m able to add it to my tank? I have seen the Seachem Flourish Iron isn’t a chelate, is that no good?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

This may be a silly question but the Chempack Iron you mention says it is harmful to aquatic life - I assume that’s not strictly true if I’m able to add it to my tank?

No, not at the levels we use it at. Iron (Fe) availability is the difference between "some" and "none", but "some" can be a very small number (~ 0.2 ppm).

I have seen the Seachem Flourish Iron isn’t a chelate, is that no good?

It is iron (ferrous) gluconate, so it really depends on how <"hard and alkaline your water is">, but normally it is a lot less effective. I guess Seachem like it because it is <"cheap to buy">.

You may also struggle with iron (Fe) availability using <"Seachem Iron">, it is <"ferrous (FeII) gluconate"> (C12H22FeO14) based. Seachem will <"spin you a line"> about this being "more plant available" but in <"hard, alkaline water"> the opposite is true.

cheers Darrel

 

[BarrWarr]

Righty-ho, I’ll get myself some Chempack then 👍

 

[Andy Pierce]

With iron, unless you actually have a deficiency more is not necessarily better. I had what I thought was perfectly good plant growth in both high-tech and low-tech set-ups including with floating plants in the low-tech - in my case Salvinia minima What is the “Duckweed Index” all about? - and just because I could I boosted up the levels of iron further with super-high-tech Fe-EDDHSA. I'm pretty sure that was rewarded with a lot of extra growth of black beard algae (BBA); the previously happy not-iron-deficient plants continued to be happy and still-not-iron-deficient upon the higher iron supplementation. I stopped the extra boosted supplementation and the BBA calmed down.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

With iron, unless you actually have a deficiency more is not necessarily better. I had what I thought was perfectly good plant growth in both high-tech and low-tech set-ups including with floating plants in the low-tech - in my case Salvinia minima What is the “Duckweed Index” all about? -

Iron (Fe) is definitely a <"two-edged sword">, and you just need to have a <"Goldilocks zone"> amount. One issue is that, if you have a large excess of iron ions in solution <"you can start to precipitate out"> phosphate (PO4---) etc. This is the<" mode of action"> of Phosban etc.

and just because I could I boosted up the levels of iron further with super-high-tech Fe-EDDHSA. I'm pretty sure that was rewarded with a lot of extra growth of black beard algae (BBA); the previously happy not-iron-deficient plants continued to be happy and still-not-iron-deficient upon the higher iron supplementation.

The BBA observation is interesting. Definitely looks like, in this case, that "more isn't better".

cheers Darrel